Pair of events to raise cash for Exmouth defibrillator fund

Defibrillator fundraiser Mike Passant with a defib in Topsham. Mike may be gunged during the Country House Inn fun day to raise more money for his defib campaign. Ref exe 4010-17-15SH. Picture: Simon Horn

Archant

Two more events have been announced to raise funds for the Exmouth community defibrillator fund.

They’re taking place during the August bank holiday weekend at Exmouth’s Country House Inn on Withycombe Village Road.

There’s a fun dog show on Saturday, August 26.

That’s followed by a family fun day on Sunday, August 27. It’s possible that Mike Passant – the 79-year-old Exmouth defibrillator fundraiser – will be ‘gunged’ during the day.

Both events are being organised by Jacqui Dye and Josh Pidgeon of the Country House Inn.

The fun dog show – starting at noon on Saturday, August 26 – will feature 18-20 categories, including waggiest tail, best trick, most appealing eyes and fastest sausage eater. Entries are £1 per dog.

The family fun day starts at 2pm on Sunday, August 27. Described as a ‘massive day of fun’, it will feature a duck race, a bath full of baked beans where you can ‘pay to dunk your mate’, fete games such as Splat the Rat and Chuck a Duck, boat-building crafts, a boat race and live music with Leeanne.

The event includes a full-size cash grabber.

“We’ll make our own fake notes,” says Jacqui. “Some worthless, some worth money and some will be vouchers for a free desert. You’ve got to grab them up, chuck them through the hole, count them up, and then at the end of the day, whoever has caught the most on one go, will get a prize.”

There’s also sponsored gunging in the brook.

“We’ve already had pledges for Mike Passant to be gunged,” says Jacqui.

She’s hopeful that more people will make pledges before the day, raising a minimum of £500 before Mike gets gunged.

“They stand on the brook and you just tip the gunge down,” says Jacqui. “If we haven’t got enough on the day, we’ll whip everybody up. And then we’ll also auction off who will tip the buckets and raise a bit extra.”

“I hope it’s pouring with rain… the gunge will just wash off again!” says Mike.

Every year the Country House Inn nominates a charity for its fundraising fun day.

“It’s a good community thing,” says Jacqui about the Exmouth community defibrillator fund. “It’s supporting something that’s local and you get a lot of support back from the community when they know it’s themselves or potentially somebody within their own community that might benefit from it.”

Mike says he’s thrilled to get the pub’s support for his defibrillator campaign.

“I’ve never had support like this before, so it really helps,” he says.